Fund Accountant
£50,000 - £55,000 + Bonus + Benefits
Central London

The Company
They are a growing, entrepreneurial London based multi‐strategy hedge fund investing primarily in distressed debt and special situations. They have seen significant growth since their beginnings a few years ago. This is an ideal opportunity for a recently qualified accountant to join a dynamic team within a small hedge fund where no two days are ever the same. Being in a small finance team means you have to have a flexible mind set to work on range of accounting activities from the basic to the BAU and to the mentally challenging problem solving to supporting transactions. You will also have to be numerate as well as have the intellectual ability to understand complex investment structures within various funds and feeder funds. The role will initially be accounting focused but will expand rapidly as your knowledge grows within the fund to encompass not only fund accounting but also treasury management, investor & tax reporting amongst other tasks as well as one off ad hoc projects / tasks to gain exposure to all levels of the firm and numerous external contacts including oversight of administrators. Being a hedge fund with a small finance function means the role will never be boring. Your role and exposure will expand because of two unrelated reasons: business growth and your own experience.

The Role
Due to further growth they now have an opening for a recently qualified accountant to join their small finance team in a broad role which encompasses more than just financial reporting. The role represents an excellent opportunity to engage in a wide number of activities whilst learning new skills. The finance team is in charge of fund valuations and trade bookings, but also supports the Investment Managers by performing tasks such as liquidity monitoring, FX hedging and operational transaction support (this can be as broad as setting up new entities, tax advice, setting up new banking and corporate servicing relationships, monitoring the closing process and perfection of security transfer). The team is therefore looking to hire someone who has the ability to take on hedge fund accounting tasks from the offset and who shows the potential to play a broader role in the future. Responsibilities include:

  • Work with fund administrators to prepare investment valuations and investor statements on a monthly basis
  • Active treasury management ‐ monitor fund liquidity, forecast cash flows and prepare cash reconciliations across multiple currencies and entities
  • Hedge FX exposure back to fund base currency
  • Preparation of performance metrics, investor due diligence questionnaires and other ad‐hoc data requests
  • Trading operations such as booking, monitoring settlements, posting corporate actions and client onboarding procedures
  • Work with external accountants to prepare the management accounts and financial & regulatory reporting for the Investment Manager
  • Work with auditors for both the Fund and Investment Manager
  • Oversight of the preparation of US tax reporting for both the Fund and investors (K1/PFICs and Partnership Returns)
  • Continuously review for operational improvements opportunities, including taking the lead in ongoing design and development of systems covering a wide variety of operational functions

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE
To be considered for this excellent role you must meet the following criteria:

  • Have a strong academic background including a 2.1+ degree or equivalent.
  • Hold an ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualification with 0‐2 years' post‐qualified experience.
  • Have strong interpersonal & communication skills.
  • Be familiar with the concepts of hedge fund accounting.
  • Show excellent attention to detail, even when under pressure and doesn't get flustered.
  • Demonstrate a thorough and robust thought process.
  • Show an appetite to develop their knowledge of all operational aspects of a hedge fund and to be involved in a broad range of subjects beyond fund accounting.
  • Demonstrated a history of pro‐actively taking on responsibilities beyond their defined role.